fkw - Falkirk Wheel

Whilst we were in the area, in October 2022, it was decided that we would visit the Falkirk Wheel. A modern wonder of the world and some of the most interesting engineering ...
It was opened in 2002 as part of the "Millennium Link Project" to re-connect the Forth & Clyde Canal to the Union Canal, allowing boaters to travel "coast to coast" once more. The Wheel (and a short tunnel} replaces a flight of eleven locks that would have taken the best part of a day to transit with about a ride of about 15 minutes - there are still a couple of new locks above & below The Wheel forming the final connections between the existing canals.
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel
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Personally, I have been here at least twice before. Each trip has had an informative commentary and the boat crews have all had wonderful lines of "patter / banter" with the passengers. One previous visit was in 2006, with my [late] father. This was during the Scottish Esperanto Congress - and he was quite fascinated, spending quite a time talking with another engineer about the technology [and they were conversing in Esperanto]. The fact that it uses power equivalent to the amount needed to boil eight kettles of water to rotate the two 250ton gondolas and their contents is wonderful. As is the view !

Whilst we were in the area, in October 2022, it was decided that we would visit the Falkirk Wheel. A modern wonder of the world and some of the most interesting engineering ... It was opened in 2002 as part of the "Millennium Link Project" to re-connect the Forth & Clyde Canal to the Union Canal, allowing boaters to travel "coast to coast" once more. The Wheel (and a short tunnel} replaces a fligh…  (read more)

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